Homeowners often have understandable questions about their plumbing, especially when they hear scary phrases like “burst pipes.” We have a bit of good news though. There is really only one thing that can cause a pipe to burst, and it’s completely preventable. What’s that?
Frozen pipes!
When the temperatures dip below freezing for too long, it can cause the water flowing through your pipes or resting in your pipes to freeze. As the ice thaws, it creates a negative pressure inside the pipes, and this leads to them bursting. We are here to provide quality repairs when this does happen, but as you read on, you’ll see tips we’ve provided to help you avoid this problem.
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes
You don’t have to let your plumbing pipes become victim to the cold this fall and winter. By following the simple steps below, you can keep your entire plumbing system in great shape.
Keep the Garage Door Closed
When temperatures are on the chillier side, it’s important to keep everything tightly sealed. This is for two reasons. Number one, it helps your heating system work more efficiently since heat won’t be able to escape as fast. Number two, it helps keep the chilly air away from your pipes, where it can cause freezing.
Ensure that you close your garage door all the way when it’s colder outside. You should also drain any hoses or faucets that are in the garage and turn off the water supply until temps warm back up again.
Plan Ahead for When You’ll Be Away
The cold air that happens in the fall and winter makes many people head to locations where there is much warmer weather. If you happen to be heading to “greener pastures” in the coming months, ensure that you plan ahead so your home stays thawed out while you’re away.
This means keeping your home heated enough even while it’s empty–consider setting the thermostat to 50°F and this will decrease the chance of your pipes freezing.
Let Some Water Run
If you have pipes in your home that are highly susceptible to freezing, like pipes in the garage as we mentioned above, and you don’t want to turn off the water supply, then consider keeping these faucets on so that water is at least dripping or trickling out. This allows your faucets to remain open and also relieves pressure that could potentially lead to a burst pipe, even if some water does freeze.
Keep Under Sink Cabinets Open
This goes for your kitchen as well as your bathrooms, and this is especially important if these pipes are on exterior walls, where they are more susceptible to freezing.
Insulate Your Pipes
Be sure that, if you have a basement or anywhere else where pipes are exposed, you insulate them using pipe sleeves. Even towels will do in a pinch!
At Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc., your comfort is our promise! To set up an appointment in the Cedar Rapids area, give us a call at the number above, email customerservice@daltonphc.com or schedule an appointment online to fix your burst pipe in Cedar Rapids, IA.